Farm tractors of all brands and several eras were driven down Palmyra’s Main Street Saturday morning, July 27, in the Marion County Fair parade.

The drivers were all ages, too, with several children taking the wheel, as their elders rode beside them. Most of the tractors appeared to be nearly new, while a few were from days gone by.

Other vehicles also were proudly shown in the parade, such as a small black truck. When someone asked the driver how old it was, he said 1923.

Mother Nature blessed the parade and other fair events with perfect weather on Saturday, as the crowd lined Main Street to greet their friends and neighbors in the parade.

Large groups of children and adults were walking or riding in the parade, with perhaps the most children being with The Crossing church from Hannibal.

Other churches and organizations also had floats, such as Palmyra United Methodist Church and Pal Bowl.

HIS Ranch of Taylor, Mo., had a vehicle and a group riding horses.

Several 4-H club members were greeting their friends as they rode by.

Numerous merchants drove their vehicles - big or small - in the parade, and queen contestants waved from convertibles.

Several special vehicles were to be in contests later in the week at the fair’s arena, such as the demo derby and motor cross.

After the parade, many people lined up on the courthouse lawn for the annual Knights of Columbus barbecue, where dinners were being shared at picnic tables or taken home.

The local KC club has been sponsoring the barbecue for about 43 years, according to Jim Veit, who said he - with 53 years’ membership - and Bob Wolfmeyer are the oldest active KC members, and both were involved in cooking at the barbecue.

The barbecued chicken and pork steak recipe is secret, Veit said, as is the recipe for the club’s baked beans.

The meats and baked beans are served with potato salad and slaw. “We try to make everything the best we possibly can,” Veit said. The potato salad was made on Friday, “so the sauce can go through it,” he explained.

Saturday’s fair schedule included the annual Miss Marion County Fair contest (for the winners, see separate article), along with additional contests and entertainment.